The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015, are automatically nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on October 23, 2015, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

Francis, 14, is alone on the frontier. In Mr. Tucket (1969) he was captured by Indians, rescued by the mountain man Mr. Grimes, and learned to survive. He continues his journey westward across the endless prairie, hoping to find his parents in a wagon train headed for Oregon. Along the way he is beset by thieves, caught in a buffalo stampede, and adopted by two young children whose father has died of cholera and who have been abandoned by the fearful adults in their wagon train. Characteristic of all Paulsen's works, the narrative flow is smooth and uncluttered, the action gritty and realistic, the story thrilling. This one reads like the second book of a trilogy; it starts in the middle and doesn't go anywhere, and familiarity with the first book is mandatory. But if Call Me Francis Tucket is unsatisfying on its own, like good serial fiction, it will make readers eager to find out what happens next, and hope a third book is in the offing. (Fiction. 10+)

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